Berry cleaning and sizing machine



March 6, 1945.

E. RIVERS BERRY CLEANING AND SIZING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1942 4Sheets-Sheet 1 v mi] Riz/ens March 6, 1945.

E. RIVERS 2,371,067

BERRY CLEANING AND SIZING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2imam/tof" im z'Z Rivera March 6, 1945. E. RIVERS BERRY GLEANING ANDsIzING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 SM2/YM m. .www WM.

.W ml a March 6, 1945.

E. RIVERS A 2,371,067

BERRY CLEANING AND SIZING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 II lf\ W o Nh 4 m m e J J,

l /fl /Z/ LF/US/ Emil River@ Patented Mar. 6, 1945 BERRY CLEANING ANDSIZING MACHINE Emil Rivers, Rockland, Maine l Application June 25, 1942,Serial No. 448,469

1 Claim.

This invention relates to berry cleaning and sizing machines.

An object of this invention is to provide a machine of this kind whichis particularly adapted to cleaning blueberries without injury thereto.

Another object of thisinvention is to provide a machine of this kindwhich will not only clean the berries, but will also size them.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine of this kindwhich may be operated by a small power member.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine of this kindwhich includes a feeding conveyor which is adjustable to permitregulation of the quantity of berries discharged onto an endless debriscarrier, and which also includes a fan for removing the light loosematerial as the berries drop down from the feeder to the debris carrier,the latter being inclined to the vertical, and the berries rolling downthe carrier opposed to the movement of the carrier and then droppingonto an endless sizing member from which the berries are discharged ontoan endless picking table and finally discharged into baskets mounted ona rotatable receiver.

With the foregoing objects and others which may hereinafter appear, theinvention consists of the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to andillustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is illustrated anembodiment of the invention as claimed, but it is to be understood thatchanges, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fallwithin the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings: l

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation partly broken away of a berrycleaning and sizing machine constructed according to an embodiment ofthis invention,

Figure 2 is a detail top plan partly broken away f the machine,

Figure 3 is a Vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure2,-

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the machine on the sideopposite from that shown in Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a detail top plan of the rotatable box support at thedelivery end of the machine,

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken on the line E-6 of Figure 2, A

Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan of the sizing member, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure7.

Referring to the drawings,J the numeral I0 designates generally a framestructure including base members or beams II which have extendingupwardly therefrom upright frame members I2, I3 and I4. The uprights I2are connected together by a horizontally disposed connecting member I5and the uprights I3 are connected together by a horizontally disposedconnecting member I6. The uprights I2 and I3 are connected together by ahorizontally disposed connecting member I'I. r

A berry receiving hopper I8 is carried by the frame I and includes sidewalls I9, a forward wall 2n and a, rear downwardly and forwardlyinclined wall 2i.- The bottom of the receiving hopper I8 is open and hasmovably disposed therebelow anendless feeding conveyor 22. The conveyor22 engages about a driving rollerl 23 which is secured to a drivingshaft 24, and an idler roller 25 carried by an idler shaft 26 engagesthe opposite end of the conveyor 22.'` The upper run 21 of theconveyor22 constitutes a movable bottom for the hopper I8 and the forward end ofthe upper run 21 is 'adapted to be adjusted with respect to the forwardwall l2l) of the hopperrl by vertical adjustment of the idler shaft 26.'This adjustment is accomplishedy by providing a pair of arcuate slots 28in opposite side frame members 29 and a shaft 26 is xed in its adjustedposition by means of adjusting nuts 3u. vThe adjustment of the space 3|at the for' ward end of the Vupper run 21 vof the conveyor 22 willprovide for the variation in the quantitylof berries which are fed fromthe hopper I8. y

The berries whichare delivered or fed `from the hopper I8 by means ofthe conveyor 22 are gravitatingly dropped onto an endless debris carrier32. The carrier 32 has the upper run 33 thereof moving upwardly andforwardly so as to l carry Ythe dirt and other debrisV upwardly, Whereasthe berries dropping onto the run 33 are adapted to gravitatingly rolldownwardly along the run 33. The carrier 32 at its lower portion istrained about a driving` drum 34 mounted on a driving shaft/35. A pairof forwardly and upwardly extending supporting arms 36 are pivotal- 1ymounted on the shaft 35 Vand extend along the opposite edges of thecarrier 32. A second pair of elongated members 31 are adjustedlengthwise of the elongated members 36 by means ofy adjusting bolts `38.Each of "the extensible members 31 has secured thereto a bearing 39through which an idler shaft 40 is journaled. An'upper drum 4I ismounted on the shaft 40 and as shown i Figure `3 is substantially largerin vsize than the drum 34.

The inclination of the carrier 32 may be varied 1 by means of a pair ofcarrier supporting levers 42 which are mounted on a transverselydisposed shaft 43. The shaft 43 is journaled through bearings 44 and theshaft 43 at one end has an outer The lever 45 adjusting lever 45 xedthereto. at its upper or free end has pivotally secured g thereto acoup,ling 46,within which oneend of an adjustingshat 41'is swivel-lymounted. The shaft shaft 47.

A fan or blower housing 53 is disposedA rearg wardly of and below thehopper |8. The fan housing-, 52E-has rotatably., mounted; therein a fanmember 5 4rwhich is secured. to;AV a shaft 55.

The fan housingcommunicates. at its delivery l end with anair-ductwhich. extends below the feeding'. conveyor: 22; and.. betweenthe delivery end. of.'the.-convey or 22..an.d` the upper run of thecarrier .The airl forced forwardly by the fan l blades 54:.isadaptedtopass. through the dropping berriesr whichdrop fromthe deliveryend off.the conveyor` 22s. and anyflooseor free debris is forced forwardly andupwardly. into-a receiving housing` 51. The housing 51`4 is disposedforwardly ofrltheh-opper liand includes upright side wallwSl-andabottomrwall 62. The bottom wall 612-is substantially shorterin lengththan thetopl wall 60-so-as-toprovide a passage |53A through whichthe airandf debris: isadapted to pass in order-gto enter the( housing-` 51.;The top wall BB has secured-theretoan elongated screen 64 which f coversanair outletvopeningand the oppositef side-walls 58' also havescreenslcovering side openingsfinvthe walls 58 so that the-air enteringthe;-housing-5-1 may readily pass into theatmosphere.-The-housing5-1fatitsforward endhas secured'thereto-adepending-duct-or-chute 61 which is open as at |58-vv ats-itslower endso that the dirt-ordebriscollectediin' thewhousing 51 will bevdischargedat` onevend of the` frame structure Mi.

The berries4 which'rell' downwardly over the upwardly moving carrier 32areadapted todrop on theV horizontalrupperrun of#k asizing member 69.The sizing -mem-ber 59 greater' detailv infFigures'f'and 81 comprisesAapair of`spaced apart chains Tir-which have securedA to the inner sidesthereofsockets 'Hl and sizing bars 12engageattheir'opposite ends inthe-sockets 1|. The'chainsl onfthefupper-run-13vof the sizing member(S9-are trained overfsprookets-lll andY T5 which arewflxedl to shafts 4161 andy 11 respectively; The chainsv'10 at their rear portionsare theneX-f tended?, downwardly. andi, forwardly and are trained overfsprockets18|- carriedby a., shaft 19 journaled; in bearings81T.;4 The bearings 80are secured.; to;.uprights.8| which are fixed at their lowerv ende-.toglthe horizontal frame` members 1. rllhevchains.1li-.are then extendedforwardly and horizontally and are trained abouta second pair of lowerAsprockets 8.|r whichare secured to a shaft 8,2.-'journaled in bearings8,3v The bearings 83 are carried; by theuprights I3.Y The chains 1Q arethenextendedupwardly about sprockets 84 which areecuredto a shaft' 85;The shaft 85' is journaledinbearings 83'also,se cured to-the uprights |3andthe chains are then extendedl forwardly which is shown inl walls58;4air-ear wall59i,v a topwalll, a forward and upwardly to the forward endof the upper run 13. A collecting hopper 8 1 is disposed below the upperrun 13 oflthe sizing member 69 and is interposed between the upper andlower runs of the sizing member 69 as shown in Figure 3.

The larger berries which do not drop through the sizing member G9 arecarried forwardly and are then delivered to a forwardly moving andhorizontally disposed picking table 88. The picking table.. 881s.constructed. inthe, form ofy an endless conveyor which has one endportionjthereof trained about a drum 89 mounted on' a driving shaft 90.The other end of the conveyor or table 88 is trained about an idler drum9| mounted on an idlershaft 92.v The table or conveyor 88 has disposedon the opposite longitudinal edges thereof elongated side boards ormembers 9,31whichextend above the upper run of the table `or conveyor89, and preferably, the side members 93 have secured to the upper innerfaces thereof inwardly projecting anges '94 which overlie the upper runof the conveyor 88. The flanges.r 94ar.e disposed close enough to thelupper surface. of the conveyor or table 88 so as. to prevent., anyyberriesfrom rolling over the opposite longitudinal f edges, of; thetableg.-v

A. pair;` of. receivingpvhoppers. 95- and. 98. areffdi'se posed at thedelivery'endof the conveyor.r or table 881 andare separated-from. eachother-by a center divider- 91. The hoppers. 95 and 9.8. arev open attheir upper and lower. ends;V andthe berries received inV the hoppers9,5:and- 96l are adapted to be delivered.intobasketsB; which aremountedin-a. rotatablebasket carrier or support, gener.- ally designated as;38.. The basket carrierxSSfis as shown in Figure., 5 of hexagonalconfiguration and includes vertical; side/walls 99;, a/downwardlyinclined bottom wall |188. and; an. inner,A perforate bottom'or'screenHM. l'Ihecarrier ||l||is mounted: on la vertically` disposed-f shaftvv|82. which is carried. by forwardly extending supporting: beams |83secured vto the lower'frame members The carrier. 98; is providedatthejunction between: the' respective side membersgllfl thereof withxaplu.- rality of inwardly projectingfdividers |032 so that atleast twoberry baskets maybe disposed between the pairsv of.l the dividers. |0411and such baskets may.I be positioned.' directly.v beneathA the hoppers951 and Bt In the eventI the with ber-ries,'tlie excessberries will droponto the screen or'inner bottomV ||`J1l1and passithrough this screenand= will be collected in` the: space llil'between the inner bottomvIUI-and thelowerbottom |00. IThe screen IUI mayfbe of ai readilyremovable construction so that any berries:k collecting in theispaceforchamberV |35" may bei-periodically removed. l

A power'member Mis carried bythe frame |0 being mounted above thehorizontal. support'- ing members;r and#V the power member Mr isadapted. to rotate a drive shaft lilil Preferably; aspeed reducinglgear/memberI |01-is interposed between the motor or powermemberMI andthe drivel shaft |86. The-shaft IBG-has fixed theretoI a pulley-rliigabout'whicha belt lfisl trained. The fan shaft 55 has fixed theretoapulley ||||ll and the-belt |39 is also trained about the pulley H0.The'drive` shaftl lialsofhas fixed.E theretoa second pulley |f| laboutwhich a twistedbelt ||2 engages. The belt ||.2 alsoengages about apulley |3f-which1r is mounted" on thefshaftz35. The belt I2 is adaptedto drive the endless'care rieng32f; A secondpulleyi |.l4rispmountedgorrthe drive shaft |06 and has:,trained'thereaboutnaibelt baskets; Blbecome overlled l xed thereto a second pulley H8 about which an endlessbelt H3 is trained. `The belt H9 is also trained about a pulley |20which is xed to the shaft 16 so that the sizing member 69 will beoperated through the train comprising the driving belt H and the belt II9.

The shaft H1 also has secured thereto a third 'pulley 2| about which anendless belt |22 is trained. lThe belt |22 engages about a pulley |23which is xed to the shaft 90 so that the conveyor or moving table 88will be operated with rotation of the shaft H1. Preferably, a clutch |24of conventional construction is correlated with the pulley H6 and theshaft H1 and is released or engaged by means of a handle lever |25 whichis fixed to a rock shaft |26. The rock shaft |26 is rockably mounted inbearings I 21 and the shaft |26 has formed at the end thereof oppositefrom the handle or lever I 25 a right langular lever 28. A transverselyand horizontally disposed releasing link |29 is connected at one end tothe lever |28 and at the other end is connected to a clutch shiftingfork |30 of conventional construction. The movement of the clutchI24 todisf engaged position will stop movement of the sizing member 69 and thepicking table 88.

The shaft 85 which is rotated by movement of the sizing member 69 hasfixed thereto a pulley |3| about which a belt |32 is trained. The driveshaft 24 of the feeding member 21 has fixed thereto a pulley |33 aboutwhich the belt |32 is also trained. In this manner, when the clutch |24is disengaged and the sizing member 69 isstopped, the feeding member 21will also be stopped but the fan member 54 and the debris carrier 32will be operated when th'e power member M is operating. l

In the use and operation of this machine, the berries as picked areplaced in the hopper I8. The feeding conveyor 22 will feed the berriesthrough the delivery opening 3| onto the debris carrier 32. The lightdebris which drops down with the berries will be blown forwardly by thedraft of air created by the fan 54 and this debris will be collected inthe housing 51 and then dropped downwardly onto the ground through theduct 61. Any heavier debris which engages the upper run 33 of thecarrier 32 will be moved upwardly and discharged onto the bottom wall 62of the housing 51. The berries which drop onto the carrier 32 will rolldownwardly by gravity onto the upper run 13 of the sizing member 69. Thesmaller berries will drop between the sizing bars 12 and the largerberries will be carried 'forwardly and then dropped onto the uppersurface of the picking table or conveyor 88.- Any undesired berries orother material which may beV discharged onto the ypicking table 88 maybe removed as the upper run of the table 88 moves forwardly so that whenthe berries are discharged into the hoppers `and 96 the berries will` becleaned and the Cleaned berries will be delivered to the baskets B whichare supported `on the basket support or carrier 98. I-

When a pair of baskets have become filled, the carrier or support 98 maybe rotated to position another pair of `baskets beneaththe hoppers 95and this operationvmay take place without stopping the picking table 88.

What I claim is:

A' berry cleaning and sizing machine comprising a frame structure, areceiving hopper in said frame, a horizontal feeding conveyor below saidhopper, an endless debris carrier inclined to the vertical and disposedforwardly of saidfeeding conveyor, a blower rearwardly of said feedingconveyor 'for creating an air draft between said feeding conveyor andsaid carrier in the same direction as the movement of. the upper run ofsaid carrier to thereby remove light debris from the berries and forcesuch light debris forwardly and upwardly, a debris collector forwardlyof said carrier, said collector having an intake opening underlying theupper run of said carrier, a movable endless perforate sizing memberbelow said carrier for receiving the berries gravitating downwardly ofthe latter, and a collector between the upper and lower runs of said'sizing member,l an endless picking member disposed with an end thereofbeneath the discharge end lofsaid sizing member, said sizing memberincluding horizontal upper and lower runs, a forward run having an upperportion extending downwardly and rearwardly at an acute angle to saidupper run,

and a lower portion extending downwardly and forwardly at an obtuseangle from said upper portion, and a rear run extending between thevrear ends of said lower and upper runs, the angle l between the upperand lower portions of said forward run providing a space whereby therear end of a picking member may be extended rearwardly beneath saidupper run. I

